Why San Diego teens are making voting a priority

Union-Tribune file photo

Famo Musa, a student at Grossmont College, poses as someone takes a picture of her next to a banner encouraging young people to register to vote during a Youth Power Summit at Lincoln High School in San Diego on Oct. 22, 2016.

Famo Musa, a student at Grossmont College, poses as someone takes a picture of her next to a banner encouraging young people to register to vote during a Youth Power Summit at Lincoln High School in San Diego on Oct. 22, 2016. (Union-Tribune file photo)

NINA SALAMEH & JENNIFER ANTUNEZ

Voting is the great equalizer, but only when your vote is cast. Yet the people with the least privilege in American society don’t vote. The San Diego County Public Defender Youth Council is a nonpartisan group of 22 students from six downtown area high schools currently advocating for the registration of all eligible voters and the pre-registration of 16- and 17-year-olds.

Voting is the basis of American democracy. What makes our post-revolutionary society stand out from other societies is the voice allowed to its citizens. Even with the passage of the 26th Amendment, which changed the voting age to 18, young voters still have one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the country. If the voices of young people are not heard or considered in civic decisions ranging from local policy to the presidency, youth will continue to feel disenfranchised and never learn how to make voting a priority. If youth don’t take advantage of their voting privilege, then the civic decisions made will not reflect their decisions and preferences, but will reflect the choices of an older demographic of voters.

In the last general election, only 50 percent of eligible young people voted. In fact, it is estimated that by 2021, 60-year-olds will exercise 95 percent more voting power than 18-year-olds. More than 4 million Americans will turn 18 before the midterm elections in 2018. The future belongs to young people, but they have to claim their place in imagining it, and then help to shape it.

We believe a great place to start is at the local level since local elections have the most effect on daily life. Get involved. Connect with causes you believe in — online and in person. Go to town halls, city council meetings, engage with elected officials and make your voices and concerns important to those with the power to make decisions.

Considering these facts and motivated by a strong belief in youth civic engagement, the youth council decided to take on a series of projects to register and educate voters in San Diego. The San Diego County Public Defender Youth Council Voter Registration and Education Initiative will include both community registration and pledge drives and high school pre-registration. In an effort to share the message about the importance of voting, we also created “Just Vote!” a YouTube video that will be shown in government classes at local high schools.

It’s not about who you vote for, it’s about voting. The youth council is encouraging people to learn about the issues, candidates and ballot measures and make informed choices for those they believe in. Recent studies show that while more young people are consuming and sharing news than ever before, they are disappointed by what they read. These articulate, informed youth need to know that they have the power to change the headlines with their vote. Active citizenship is critical to democracy.

Adults often mischaracterize youth, saying young people prefer social media to social activism, but current events prove this portrayal wrong as high school and middle school students are showing levels of civic engagement that have not been seen in years. Students are shaping the way news is accessed and distributed, proving again and again that the future belongs to them. Young people have learned how to harness technology and use the power of the internet to get their point across without being disagreeable. They’ve learned how to start movements, and how to change the narrative. Using social media and other platforms, youth have been speaking out. Now we need them to be heard!

The San Diego County Public Defender Youth Council is asking for all eligible citizens to vote. We are making a broader reach into the community, urging those who are already registered to come through on their vote. Our goal is to increase voter registration percentages in San Diego, including pre-registration among 16- and 17-year-olds. Yet, regardless of age, our message remains the same: Just vote! A strong democracy depends on your participation.

Salameh, 16, is a sophomore at San Diego High School. Antunez, 16, is a junior at King Chavez High School.